A Human Rights Mini-Forum Report:

Marieke Duchatteau

Written by Joey Nunez

Photographed by Joel Keralis and Yang Rayun

Human rights conversations happen everywhere. Marieke Duchatteau, a graduate student in Public Management from Utrecht, the Netherlands, shared her thoughts during the final full day of the World Human Rights Cities Forum 2015 at the Kim Daejung Convention Center, on Sunday, May 17. Marieke’s interests in human rights led her from Europe to Asia for the Forum.

What made the conversation extraordinary was Marieke’s desire to include young Korean adults. Through arrangements of Kim Taehyeong, GIC coordinator, six volunteers joined, listened and shared their thoughts.

Summarizing her thesis work, Marieke stated, “I am more or less mapping the different discourses in the city of Utrecht concerning human rights, so I am doing research … so we can create alliances between organizations to work together in human rights.” As a result, Marieke seeks opportunities for the groups to “create a stronger humans rights network that has more ‘cohesion,’ as a sentiment for local human rights.”

Marieke emphasized that human rights should be found locally. “If you were to ask someone from Utrecht: ‘What do you think about with the term local human rights?’, they would say that they are for Latin America, Asia, not something for them. But actually with us is where human rights starts, and I think it is important to raise this consciousness, that it is you, who can do something about human rights, and … for your neighbor, for your friends and for your family.”

Marieke agreed that the beginning stages of advocating for human rights in homes, classes, schools and cities is difficult, but she also realized that “if everyone is taking care of such small things, in their near environment, this would really create a better world.”

Then, the interview shifted in new directions, steered by questions from the Korean volunteers assisting at the Forum.

First, Yang Rayun asked if the history of Gwangju and Utrecht resembled each other. Marieke said no, because in her home citizens are less likely to go out into the streets to fight and to share “collective memories.” “In the Netherlands, it is more individualistic, so we don’t really like sharing emotions with the collective [people]. We [see], for example, that this collective trauma of emotions is more present here than it is at home.”

Marieke additionally stated that while Korea and the Netherlands’ histories differ, the two countries both know poverty. “It … brings lot of stress … and we are talking about this without realizing that it is about [not having] human rights. I realize the importance of rising up for those human rights. People will not [speak] up for the rights if they don’t realize they are important.”

Second, Park Jiwon asked for her opinion of the debate over free lunch distribution to children living below the poverty line.

“It is an investment for the general public, because it is a public right to everyone to have food, right?” She further explained that choices have to be made, because “unfortunately, it is not enough money to help everybody at the same time.”

Then, Kim Jiheon asked for Marieke’s thoughts on the Forum.

“I would like to express my respect to all of the organizers, both young and old. I am here now with the young, because they really impress me, but I also know that older people are working really hard, so I just hope that this right to happiness … will be [made available] for people of all ages and it would be [for] all colors, cultures, sexual minorities and religious groups, all of them together,” she said.